The ground breaking for a highly anticipated, $25-million library and social housing complex at 720-730 East Hastings was held Monday morning.
The six-storey project is a joint initiative between the City of Vancouver, the Vancouver Public Library and YWCA Metro Vancouver. The building, designed by the firm Dialog, is being built on a city-owned site and will feature two floors for the library topped by four floors of social housing called Cause We Care House, designated for single mothers.
[…] Mayor Gregor Robertson and provincial and federal politicians, including Vancouver South MP Wai Young and North Vancouver MLA Jane Thornthwaite, attended the ground breaking event, as did VPL board chair Mary Lynn Baum, YWCA Metro Vancouver CEO Janet Austin, Cause We Care Foundation chair Andrea Thomas Hill, Streetohome Foundation president and CEO Rob Turnbull, Ismaili Council for B.C. president Samira Alibhai and First Nations representatives.
The YWCA’s capital contribution is $10.08 million, which includes a $700,000 endowment to offset operating costs. It’s raised $9 million so far. The City of Vancouver’s contribution is the land valued at $2.6 million, the federal government contributed, $1.2 million, the provincial government contributed $2 million, the Cause we Care Foundation donated $1.5 million, and the Streetohome Foundation and the Ismaili Council of BC are also key donors.
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